Nearly everyone at the Golden Globes—at least everyone in the pre-show awards coverage—dressed in black.

That sartorial choice was made to demonstrate support the Time’s Up organization and draw awareness to sexual assault and abuse in the workplace.

Some could say that, as a result, the Golden Globes had a funereal feel about it.

However, that was not unwelcome. Some aspects of Hollywood, and American culture at large, need to pass away. Hopefully we are witnessing the death of some old, outdated approaches towards sex, consent and gender roles.

"It's a reminder that there is a way forward out of this darkness and back into light."

On a symbolic level, the black dresses worn by stars like Emma Stone, Meryl Streep, Debra Messing and so many more call to mind what people in that industry might be mourning. They might be mourning the many would-be actresses who gave up on their dreams when men told them they were expected to have sex with them in exchange for work. They might be mourning the women whose careers didn’t advance, because they were seemingly blackballed from work by predatory men. They might be mourning the compromises they had to make on a personal level to get their projects made.

And isn’t much of America mourning, too? For so many people, especially young women, to be a famous actress is the ultimate dream. Not just because the idea of acting seems fun, although it may be. It’s a dream because of the perks that often appear to accompany that life. To be a famous actress is to be rich. It is to be decked out in gorgeous clothing at all times. It means traveling the world. It means being adored. It means being powerful.

But we now know how often it still means being subject to the will of men in power. If women who we admire perhaps as much as anyone in the country, who seem as lucky as anyone in the country, still have to deal with sexual harassment and assault, then who is safe from it?

The answer is, infuriatingly and tragically, “none of us.” As Meryl Streep, pointed out on the red carpet, this kind of sexual abuse is “in the military, it’s in congress, it’s everywhere.”

The darkness of those dresses called to mind the dark corners that exist in this industry, as they exist in all industries. Indeed, this has been a year of acknowledging the darkness in places in American life we often preferred not to look at. It is easier, often, to pretend that everything is fine and fun, especially in a glamorous industry like Hollywood. Perhaps that desire to believe that all is well is one of the reasons that people are so inclined to disbelieve women who come forward to speak about their assault. The dresses stars wore were a massive visual reminder that we have to look at what is happening to women, and that we can’t turn away and pretend any longer.

"The darkness of those dresses called to mind the dark corners that exist in this industry, as they exist in all industries."

It would have been easy to stop there. Just forcing people to look at that which they would rather ignore is an accomplishment. But instead, the stars at the Golden Globes also offered hope by bringing with them activists who can help us emerge from dark times. Meryl Streep brought with her Ai-jen Poo the head of the National Domestic Workers Alliance. Michelle Williams brought Tarana Burke, who started the #MeToo movement. Emma Stone brought Billie Jean King, the tennis player who proved 45 years ago that women should be entitled to the same opportunities and pay as their male counterparts.

Their presence, the amplification of their causes, and the existence of Time’s Up, is a reminder that there is a way forward out of this darkness and back into light. Women like these activists and the whistle blowers in Hollywood (and other industries) can help us find our way out.

Tara Burke remarked on the read carpet that, in this we’re seeing “a collaboration between two worlds.” Privileged women can learn from women who have been fighting for brighter futures for years, and can help amplify their messages on a huge scale. That collaboration is so hopeful, because we are all going to need to work together to defeat sexism in all industries.

The Golden Globes are a reminder that no matter how privileged our lives may seem we, all of us, have to exist as women in a sometimes hostile world. It’s also a reminder that we will all have to work together in solidarity for a brighter future. Hopefully, we’ll able to start shining light on the issues. In doing so, I hope we can produce a better, more diverse, and more colorful world for the next generation of women.

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